McCoy Tyner - Impulse Albums Collection (CD)

Born in Philadelphia on 11th December 1938, as a youth McCoy Tyner was encouraged to study piano by his mother and began lessons at age 13. Within two years music had become the focal point in his life and Tyner was playing on his neighbour's instrument, but his family soon invested in one of his own for the budding musician, following which he began hosting jam sessions at home. Among his friends were a number of other young musos who would go on to make their mark in the field of jazz, including Lee Morgan, Archie Shepp, Bobby Timmons, Reggie Workman, and most notably, fellow pianist Bud Powell and his brother Richie. McCoy later said, "Bud and Richie Powell moved into my neighbourhood. Bud was a major influence on me during my early teens. He was very dynamic." Tyner later attended the West Philadelphia Music School and the Granoff School Of Music. Also included as part of this collection, is a rare, previously unreleased recording of a jam session undertaken by members of John Coltrane's group in Munich in 1961, led by Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet and McCoy Tyner on piano. This unique and rarely heard recording also featured Reggie Workman on bass, Mel Lewis on drums, and Coltrane himself contributed trumpet to one number. This complete 4 CD collection, containing almost five hours of music, showcases all of Tyner's work with Impulse! As a bandleader, bringing together as it does McCoy Tyner's finest early releases, during a period that the great man went from being a breakaway from John Coltrane's group, to a fully-fledged international and wildly respected jazz band-leader in his own right. This boxed set will thus serve as both welcome reminder of this sublime musician's best ever work, or as a starting point for those not yet flying the flag.

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. Inception
2. There Is No Greater Love
3. Blues for Gwen
4. Sunset
5. Effendi
6. Speak Low
7. Reaching Fourth
8. Goodbye
9. Theme for Ernie
10. Blues Back
11. Old Devil Moon
12. Have You Met Miss Jones

Disc: 2

1. Satin Doll
2. We'll Be Together Again
3. Round Midnight
4. For Heaven's Sake
5. Star Eyes
6. Blue Monk
7. Groove Waltz
8. Days of Wine and Roses
9. Contemporary Focus
10. A Night in Tunisia
11. T 'N a Blues
12. Autumn Leaves
13. Three Flowers
14. When Sunny Gets Blue

Disc: 3

1. Newport Romp
2. My Funny Valentine
3. All of You
4. Monk's Blues
5. Woody 'N' You
6. Duke's Place
7. Caravan
8. Solitude
9. Searchin'
10. Mr. Gentle and Mr. Cool
11. Satin Doll
12. Gypsy Without a Song

Disc: 4

1. On Green Dolphin Street
2. Softly, As in a Morning Sunshine
3. The Way You Look Tonight
4. Oleo
5. Impressions